Not Enough Hope
by Mismatch Quinn
Summary: Sadie becomes friends with the Manhattan Newsies only to find herself living in Brooklyn. Can she remain friends with Manhattan while they battle with Brooklyn and deal with the infamous Brooklyn leader himself? Some swearing and violence. Reviews welcome
1. Default Chapter

*** Disclaimer - I do not own any of the characters from the Disney movie "Newsies". Any of the characters I come up with, obviously, I own. Constructive criticism is welcome!***  
  
Sadie sauntered down the bustling, crowded sidewalk swinging a sack by her side and whistling. It was early October in New York City, and the morning air had a snap to it. Her brother's oversized jacket provided some warmth, as did the long underwear she wore under her skirts. Jeremiah had told her to walk down to the butcher's and get some soup bones for Ma. Sadie hated it when her older brother ordered her around, but he usually did it with a wink and a smile.  
They lived above a small tailor's shop where both her Ma and Jeremiah worked. Sadie helped out occasionally but spent most of her time working at the orphanage down the street. Her duties there included housekeeping, and helping out in the kitchen. Some days were better than others were, but she loved the youngest children. Sadie loved children in general, but the little ones never failed to make her smile.  
"Buy me pape Miss?" Sadie exchanged fleeting smiles with the tall boy that she bought a paper from everyday for Jeremiah. He was about her age, sixteen with curly brown hair and laughing brown eyes. One of his legs was twisted, and he hopped about with a crutch. She knew the other boys in the area who worked at his profession of selling papers kept an eye out for him. He was in truth the only boy she felt comfortable buying a paper from in Manhattan. Sadie had told him as such one day, and he had laughed telling her that she should try Brooklyn if she thought Manhattan was bad.  
"What's your name anyway," Sadie asked as she handed over a few pennies and tucked the paper under her arm. His ears turned red and he ducked his head, emitting a high-pitched, nervous titter. Gathering his composure, he swept off the brown cap he wore, and bowed slightly.  
"They call me Crutchy on account of my crutch." Sadie tried to hide her giggle at the obvious statement and curtsied elegantly.  
"My name's Sadie Pruett. Nice to meetcha." With a wave, she continued on her way down the sidewalk. Coming back from the butcher's she stopped in at a small candy shop and bought her Ma some penny candy. She had a fondness for peppermint sticks and lemon drops. Sadie wondered when the last time Crutchy had eaten candy was. Passing through the Square, she saw him and a bunch of his newsboy buddies congregating near a large statue.  
A few were still trying to sell papers, while the rest were smoking cigarettes or cigars and talking. Crutchy stood near a tall boy with a red bandanna and a black cowboy hat hanging over the back of his black vest and a surprisingly well dressed boy with curly brown hair. The boy with the cowboy hat threw back his head and laughed at something the curly brown haired boy stated with an embarrassed, serious face. Crutchy looked over in Sadie's direction and saw her then, and he waved. That was enough for most of the boys to notice her, and they started whistling or taking off their caps. She felt her face burning as numerous pairs of eyes assessed her.  
"C'mere Sadie and meet the fellas." Against better judgment, she walked over to him with a cautious smile on her face. Crutchy gave her an encouraging grin, and put his hand on her elbow.  
"Fellas this is Sadie Pruett. Sadie, this is Jack and David," he said pointing first at the cowboy hat and then the embarrassed boy. "These are some of the other guys, Racetrack, Snoddy, Snitch, Snipeshootah, Specs, Dutchy, Bumlets, Kid Blink, and Mush. There's more but they ain't back from sellin' yet." Sadie nodded hello to them all and after quite a few of them kissed her hand, mostly the one named Racetrack, they continued on with their various conversations.  
"So, I see you go to St. Mary's Orphanage every morning. I sell near there." Jack, the one dressed like a cowboy wiped his forehead on his red bandanna and lit a cigarette. Sadie set down her bag of soup bones and tucked her hands into the pockets of her coat.  
"Yeah, I work there in the kitchen and do cleaning. Some days I'm lucky and the nuns let me help with the children." Jack's eyebrows rose in disbelief.  
"Lucky? I was in a place like that once and those kids are no joy to be around." Crutchy snorted in agreement, David's face was a picture of innocence. She knew then that he must come from a better off family and wasn't used to street life like these boys, and even her.  
"Not all the kids are horrible there. Although come to think of it I'm sure I could name out a few recruits for you boys when they get old enough. Nasty little rotters."  
"Hey!" Sadie burst into laughter at the indignation in Jack's voice. When he saw that she was teasing, he ran a hand through his brown hair sheepishly before flicking his cigarette away.  
"Jack, what are you going to do about Spot?" Jack's face did cloud this time, and he silenced David with a glare. David looked affronted for about two seconds, before persisting once more.  
"If he wants to fight with me he can, but I didn't take his girl. You can't take something that's willing to go" David's face paled, as did Crutchy's. Sadie felt like she was intruding, so making her excuses, she continued on her way home.  
Ma and Jeremiah were fitting a gentleman for a new suit when she walked into the shop. Mr. Foster, the owner of the store who was apprenticing Jeremiah smiled and waved her through. Sadie stuck a lemon drop into her Ma's mouth past a few pins and waved the newspaper at Jeremiah before dropping it onto a chair. Clattering up the staircase, she hung up Jeremiah's coat and readied a pot to boil the soup bones in.  
Hearing the door to the apartment creak open, she wiped her hands on a towel she had stuck into the waistband of her skirt, and turned towards the entryway. Mr. Foster's son Henry stood there, a smirk on his face. Sadie felt her heart drop to her feet. Henry was a year older than Jeremiah at twenty-two. He looked nothing like a tailor's son with his thick hands and broad shoulders. He worked in a smithy as a blacksmith's apprentice. He must have just come from work, because he still wore his stained leather apron and his face and muscular arms were dirty with soot.  
"Hiya Sadie, my, my, my. Don't you look nice today." There was a feral glint in his dark brown eyes. Henry had been after her since they had moved in there when she was fourteen and barely more than a girl. Hell, she was still barely more than a girl. It wasn't that he was ugly, he was actually quite attractive. It was that he was one of the cruelest people she had ever met. Sadie had heard stories about him torturing neighborhood cats and dogs when he was a child, and forcing his attentions on girls. She had no idea how such a kindly man as Mr. Foster could have produced such demon spawn.  
"Jeremiah told you to stay out of here, Henry. Take yourself elsewhere, I don't have time for you." Sadie stuck her chin out and put her hands on her hips, careful to keep a grip on the metal ladle in her fist. Henry chuckled, but his laugh was far from pleasant. Truthfully it sounded almost maniacal.  
"Oh you proper girls. Don't know where the real fun's to be had. I saw you today, talking to those newsboys. Scum of the city. Hah, they think they have actual jobs? Cheating people out of change by lying about the news. Some job. You could do much better than that." Sadie felt hysteria rising up in her chest and knew that if he didn't leave soon she was either going to get hurt, or was going to try to hurt him. With each word he spoke, he had inched closer to her, backing her up against the kitchen wall.  
"I'd have to say getting involved with one of them WOULD be doing better than you, you." Sadie squeaked but didn't flinch as he punched a fist into the wall next to her head. Henry grasped her chin in his hand and she noticed that he was trembling.  
"You don't know what you're saying, Sadie. I'm the best thing that could ever happen to you. When are you going to see that?" she squirmed, and was about to cry out, when she heard Jeremiah's voice cold and quiet.  
"Get the hell away from my sister." Henry jerked away from her like she was hot to the touch. Jeremiah was smaller than Henry in stature, but he knew how to fight having been born and bred on the streets of South Boston before they moved to Manhattan. Sadie could see murder shining in the gray eyes they both shared, and his black hair was damp with sweat. Henry spat on the kitchen floor her mother always made sure was spotless and stalked out of the apartment silently. She gulped in air and started to bend forward even as Jeremiah reached her and sat her down, instructing her to put her head between her legs.  
"This is getting out of control," Sadie heard him murmur as he rubbed the tense muscles of her neck underneath her thick braid of hair.  
"How many times does he come up here like that?" she shrugged and laughed mirthlessly. Wiping her face on the sleeve of her blouse, she sat up straight.  
"At least once or twice a week when he sees that you or Ma are busy downstairs with a customer. That week you went back to Southie to visit Grandpa he was up here almost every day. Thankfully Ma was always coming and going asking me for my help so I wasn't usually alone. "  
"Damnit Sadie why didn't you tell me he was this bad before?"  
"Why so we could all get kicked out? No thanks, Miah, I can take care of myself." Jeremiah laughed and this time it was an honest, amused sound.  
"Sure just like you were a few minutes ago, aye? No good baby Sis. We gotta find you somewhere else to go." Miserably they contemplated places she could stay. Jeremiah suggested the orphanage, he knew of maids who lived there in the nun's dorms. Sadie made a face at that idea. Sighing, she pulled her raven braid into a bun and secured it with a few hairpins.  
"I'm going for a walk, I need to talk to Becca. Maybe she can let me stay with her and Sam." With that she pulled on her shawl and headed off to Brooklyn to see her best friend and her husband. The afternoon sun was golden and bright, promising that it wouldn't last for too much longer as she slunk out of the store and out onto the street. Fearing that Henry might follow; she set off at a fast pace towards the Bridge.  
  
"Hello there, Sadie." Sadie couldn't help but smile back at Sam's round, friendly face. She had met Becca when she had started working in the kitchen at the orphanage. She in turn introduced her to Sam, her young husband. He had a shock of pumpkin orange hair and bright blue eyes that always shone when he talked to or about Becca. He was a plain man, but he was the kind of man that few women ever find. Honest, reliable, and a hard worker. He held their infant son Daniel on his shoulder, a burping cloth flung underneath him to protect his vest.  
"Who's there Sam?" He turned and held the door open wider so she could slide underneath his arm. Becca looked up from the small table she was setting for dinner, and seeing Sadie's troubled face silently added a third plate before coming over to embrace her. She had more lines on her still slightly youthful face, and her blonde hair was faded. But her whiskey colored eyes sparkled with life and she knew that she would be okay.  
Becca tried to pry out of her what was wrong, but she was reluctant to talk about it over dinner. Sam was talking about his decision to take over as manager at a Newsboy lodging house in Brooklyn. Becca wasn't thrilled, but Sam was eager to take the job.  
"It'll be fine Sweetheart. The 'leader' as they call him assured me that I wouldn't have to stay the night, but he wants me there to keep track of money and other various things that the building needs. The good news is that we can live there. More room. We'd get a whole floor to ourselves."  
"How did this young hooligan acquire such a building?" Sam frowned thoughtfully and paused, a piece of ham hanging perilously from his fork.  
"You know, I'm not sure. He said it was a needed move from the warehouse they lived in by the docks, and that it had been left to him by a friend. He's bringing the deeds over tonight to make sure that I believe him. We move in this weekend, if I agree. You know how I feel about boys like this. I was one of them once." Becca smiled fondly at her husband.  
"You were never like them, Sam. You have a heart, this Mr. Conlon most certainly doesn't." Becca started clearing away the dishes, and Sadie began to help her. Sam bounced Daniel on his knee in the living room area.  
"So," Becca began as she filled the sink with water and started lathering a rag up with a bar of rough soap. She cringed, and found a dry clean rag to wipe off the dishes with.  
"What's going on, Sadie?"  
"It's Mr. Foster's son, Henry. He won't leave me alone, Becca. He's always coming around when he knows I'm by myself, and trying to get me to do things with him that I don't want to do. I know one day he's not going to take no for an answer." Becca made a face and dropped a plate into the dirty sudswater. Wiping her hands clean onto her apron she made a decision in her mind.  
"You can stay here, Sadie, I really don't think Sam will mind." Sam voiced his objections from the living room, but with some explanation from Becca, he decided that it was the best course of action for her as well. So it was that the next morning Sadie was lugging her clothes over to Becca's in a large canvas sack, with Jeremiah helping. My Ma had been upset; she didn't understand why she was leaving. She told her Becca needed help taking care of Daniel, since it was her first child and she was young. There was a note from Becca saying that they were over at the building where they and the newsboys were to be living. Jeremiah and Sadie trudged over there, arms and shoulders aching by the time they reached the place. It was close to the docks still, and there were numerous street rats swarming the front stoop carrying Becca's furniture inside. Sam stood in the cart he must have rented, handing down furniture with the help of a broad shouldered boy. Becca was no where in sight.  
"Can I help ya?" Her eyes shot up to where a boy stood on the sidewalk, arms crossed supervising the movers. He wasn't that tall, probably a little over 5"5. He had a narrow, cold face with piercing blue eyes. A few stray locks of dirty blonde hair showed out from under his gray cap. He wore a red gingham shirt with a stained white undershirt, red suspenders, and dark brown pants. A gold-topped black cane was stuck through a belt loop, and the top of a slingshot peeked out of a back pocket.  
"Who're you?" Her brother dropped her bag and looked at the boy levelly. Sam looked down from the cart then, and calling out for a break, leapt to the sidewalk lightly for a man of his round stature.  
"Spot, this is Sadie Pruett and her brother Jeremiah. Sadie's going to be staying with us. Sadie and Jeremiah, this is Spot Conlon. He's the one in charge of this group of newsboys. " Jeremiah held out a hand to Spot. He looked at it consideringly, before clasping it in his own and shaking. Turning his attention to her, he raised an eyebrow when Sadie stuck her hand out as well. She met his eyes and didn't waver until he shook she hand.  
"Well. Becca's inside, Sadie. I'm sure she'd love your help." She nodded at Sam, before saying good-bye to her brother. He seemed satisfied about something as he absently hugged her and walked away without looking back. Spot hollered at a husky boy with red curly hair and masses of freckles, who stopped slouching against the building and hefted both her bags up onto his shoulders. 


	2. Chapter Two

*** A/N -  
  
Lemon Drops - Thank you for your review ( To clear up any confusion about where Sadie is going to be  
  
living, I'll explain. Sadie is staying with her friends Becca and Sam. Sam just got a job as a manager of the  
  
Brooklyn Newsboys new head quarters, so he's moving Becca and their son Daniel into the lodging house.  
  
Sadie is going to be staying with them at the lodging house. I'll try to go over it more carefully to make  
  
sure things don't stay confusing.  
  
Angelfish7- Thank you for your review as well. I explained what is going on above, so hopefully you aren't  
  
as confused anymore. ( I'll be writing more for this story and posting it later tonight. ****  
  
Sadie followed the red head into the building. She recognized pieces of Becca's furniture placed haphazardly around the room. Sam's desk was set up with a ratty ledger and a length of pencil lead to record who stayed and how much they had paid. A boy of about ten was sitting in Sam's chair, feet up on the desk, smoking a cigarette. Becca came clattering down a flight of stairs, holding Daniel in her arms. Her face was flushed, and her hair was coming loose. She looked slightly cross, but she gave Sadie a broad smile before snapping her fingers and glaring at the boy in Sam's chair. The boy amazingly put his feet down and leapt out of the chair with a start.  
"I see you've already made it known who wears the pants," Sadie said with a laugh. Becca flopped down into the vacant chair and handed Daniel to Sadie. Exhaling loudly, she looked up.  
"I think my husband has gone crazy. To take a job like this where he'll make next to nothing, and agree to live with these.hoodlums. Touched, I tell you. He's definitely touched. Especially to bring you into all this mess when you're trying to get away from boys like these." Sadie shrugged and eyed a pair of 'hoodlums' carrying Daniels bassinet up the stairs, cigarettes dangling out of their mouths.  
"It's away from Henry, and frankly you can't honestly say that there would have been enough room at your old place. I'm afraid I was the deciding factor into making you move here." Becca flung a hand away from her in protest and smiled.  
"Anything for you m'dear. You're like a sister to me, don't you forget it. HEY! You with the.My God is that a cigar you're smoking? You look like you're seven!. Oh you're nine, how shocking. Don't you dare carry my china up the stairs like that." With that, Becca flung herself up and disappeared behind a small boy carrying a box precariously balanced on his head.  
"Ah, Sadie I was hoping you'd be down here. Let me show you around." Sam appeared, followed by Spot. She went to pick up her bags, and realized the red head had probably taken them upstairs. Sam wasn't headed that way though. He was going down a narrow hallway that lead away from the main room. He pointed out the kitchen, a small wash room, and a small room that Sam told Sadie was her's. She peeked in, and saw a mattress resting on box springs with an iron head and base board. It looked like one of the beds from the orphanage. She made a face, and looked up to see Spot watching her, with an amused glint in his eyes. There was a braided cloth rug on the floor, and a battered bureau squatting in the corner underneath a small window. She was surprised to see her bags sitting on the floor beside the bed.  
"Come upstairs now." Sam propelled her back the way they came, Spot following silently radiating hostility and indifference. Up the stairs they went, dodging boys left and right. A ruckus coming from the landing they reached indicated that the newsboys were to be inhabiting the second floor. Two rooms were jam packed with beds similar to Sadie's, or a few bunk beds up against walls here and there. The newsboys had obviously already planned on moving into the building a while before they hired Sam on. They looked already settled, with boys lounging on their beds, or playing card games at a table in the center of the room. Sadie noticed a few boys shooting craps in one corner. Sam didn't bat an eye, but kept going down the hallway to where there were two doors. One was a small bedroom that Spot pointedly said was his. The other was another stairway that led to the third floor, which was set up in a small apartment like Sam and Becca had had before. All three floors had their own washrooms, and it was apparent that it had been used as a boarding house before the newsboys took it over.  
Sadie jiggled a now sleeping Daniel in her arms, shifting his weight before wrinkling her nose. Thrusting the baby at Sam, she backed away. Sam's nose wrinkled as well, and he laughed.  
"Ok Sadie, I won't make you change him. Go get settled and then come up for supper if you want. Spot, you and your boys will be fine I'm assuming?" Spot inclined his head which apparently meant 'Yes' before Sam disappeared up the small flight of stairs to his floor. Spot glanced at Sadie.  
"You're a dame, dame's love babies. I'm surpised you didn't want to change him and be all gross about it." Sadie snorted and shook her head.  
"Hell no. I love kids, but changing them's a different story. Show's how much you know about 'dames' kid" she shot over her shoulder before flying down the stairs to start putting her things away. She wasn't sure, but she thought she heard a low chuckle behind her as she left. 


	3. Chapter Three

Spot watched the girl skip down the stairs and shook his head. Dames, he thought, can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em. Although lately, he'd been wishing that girls never existed. Like most of the people he knew and grew up with, Spot Conlon had had a hard life. It wasn't easy for anyone living in any sort of poverty in New York City, least of all orphaned or runaway children. He found that most of the experiences he had gone through as a young child into his teenage years had warped most of his relationships with people. He found it hard to relate to females unless they came from the same social class as him. The ones he did relate to were tough, hardened girls, who requested payment by the hour. He had no need for special attachments unless he met up with a girl who either let him get away with whatever he wanted, or was indifferent to his shortcomings. More often than not, he only socialized with girls when the need hit him, and then he was on his way.  
The last girl who had struck his fancy had been someone he thought was as emotionally hardened as him. It wasn't that he didn't have feelings. He did, but he didn't know how to show them. He preferred to keep them hidden inside where they didn't have the chance of getting bruised or shattered. Most girls he treated as objects of his lust, or showpieces to parade around with, giving them nothing back. But his girl Diamond had been different. She had demanded to be treated as a person, an equal. They fought tooth and nail on more than one occasion, neither giving in until she or more often than not he would admit defeat.  
Diamond had softened his rough exterior and he found himself depending on her, wanting her to stick around. He could talk to her like he could talk to his best pal Jack. She didn't take his shit, and he respected that. But all that changed somehow, about a week ago. They had gotten into one of their infamous rows, Diamond's copper hair swirling around her flushed face, her blue eyes as snapping and angry as his own. She had taken off, and sick with worry after she didn't return and night had swept in, Spot had stayed up the whole evening. Sitting on the docks on an early October night, wasn't a pleasant thing when one didn't own a coat.  
Whiskey, his right hand man had shown up a little after sunrise, with a grim expression on his usually un-sober face. Spot had leapt off of his throne of crates and faced Whiskey, fists clenched. Thoughts raced through his head, none of them good.  
" We found her, Spot."  
"Is she okay?" Whiskey cast his eyes towards the ground and scrubbed a hand through his lank brown hair wearily. Spot could barely contain himself.  
"She's okay. She's in Manhattan. Apparently Jacky-boy's been her shoulder to cry on for some time now." Spot felt his guts clench and his mouth dropped. Anger struck him like a right-hook to the jaw. Whiskey shuddered to see the icy blue of his leader's eyes and the tense way he squared his shoulders.  
"That rotten, no-good, thieving, son-of-a." his last remark was drowned out by the sound of him putting his fist through a crate. Whiskey let Spot rage, knowing that it was dangerous to interrupt him. After a while, Spot stopped punching crates and faced Whiskey again, sides heaving, face slicked with sweat.  
"This of course means war. Not a territory war, a vendetta war. I don't want any Manhattan boys or girls in Brooklyn. If you see 'em, soak 'em. That means ANY of 'em. Got it?" Whiskey nodded mutely and Spot stalked off after telling him to inform the rest of the boys.  
  
"Spot."  
Spot shook his head and glanced around, slightly embarrassed, but it was only Whiskey. The taller boy held an open bottle in his hand that he offered to Spot. Spot took a healthy swallow and followed Whiskey into one of the bunkrooms.  
Two of his boys were sitting on a bed; excitedly talking about how they had soaked two Manhattan boys earlier. Spot felt a slight twinge as he heard the names 'Racetrack' and 'Snipeshooter'. He was hoping that sooner or later Jack would get his and he could call the whole thing off. But he knew that deep down he was going to have to be the one to soak Jack. 


	4. Chapter Four

***** A/N -  
  
Thanks again Lemon Drops for your reviews!! I'm glad you like it and are still reading. I'll try to make the chapters longer for ya (  
  
Treble- Thank you as well. I read your story and those are kind words coming from you. I hope you are still writing, I'd like to read something else of yours.  
  
Angelfish7- Don't worry, I'll keep the chapters comin' (  
  
*********  
  
Sadie found herself climbing the stairs to get to Sam and Becca's floor about twenty minutes after her exchange with Spot. The doors to the two bunkrooms were open, and cigarette smoke wafted out along with boisterous shouts and laughter. A few whistles followed her down the hall as she strode towards Becca's door, jaw clenched. Someone made a rude comment, and Sadie made an obscene gesture with her hand she had learned from one of Jeremiah's friends in Boston. A shocked silence ascended before she heard someone laughing appreciatively.  
"She showed you Snot," she heard Spot Conlon say before he started laughing again. Flushing with an absurd pleasure at having shown one of them up, she sailed up the stairs to the next floor. Delicious smells assaulted her nose and made her stomach remember that it hadn't eaten all day. Becca was setting their small table, and Sam sat dandling Daniel on his knee, making him chortle with laughter. Their apartment was about the same size as before, it had a little kitchen, a dining area, a small living room, two bedrooms and a washroom.  
"So what do you think, Sadie?" Sadie dropped down onto the worn sofa and made a mock serious face at Sam.  
"Well it certainly is different than home," she said laughing. Sam grinned, and winked. Becca looked displeased about the whole affair, and Sam shared a secret worried glance with Sadie. Sadie hoped Becca would grow to be okay with the arrangement. She knew her motherly instincts would take over and she'd be fussing over the newsboys instead of resenting them.  
"Dinner," Becca called finally. They all joined around the table, Sadie's stomach rumbling. Becca giggled at the sound, and gave her a generous helping of meat, potatoes and cabbage. Sadie could barely wait for them to say 'Grace' before digging in.  
Sam belched appreciatively and patted his stomach before pushing his chair back slightly. Before Becca could get a cross-word out, Sadie echoed him, and looked at Sam solemnly.  
"I agree." Becca dissolved into a fit of laughter. Suddenly they all jumped as they heard a loud smash from down below, and yelling. Sam leapt up and thudded down the stairs. Sadie followed, Becca staying behind to keep an eye on Daniel. Flinging the door open, they stopped in their tracks  
A boy was leaning against the wall with a bloody nose and Spot had another stopped against the opposite wall, held there with his cane. Death would have run from the chilly look on his thin face as he berated the bigger, older boy for going after the smaller one.  
"You can fight all you want, but it's getting late and he's two times smaller than you Mumbles. Don't start shit right under my nose and not expect me to step in. Calm the fuck down or else you're out for the night." The older boy glared at Spot before shaking his head and promising he would behave. Spot let him away from the wall and slapped his cane against the back of the boy's legs as he returned to the bunkroom. Mumbles yelped and shot into the room. Spot snickered and told the younger boy to tilt back his head and pinch the top of his nose to stop the blood.  
"What time is it Sam?" Sam started and looked at his pocket watch.  
"It's almost eight o'clock. The doors will be locked by ten each night, okay Spot?" The boy tilted his head in agreement and hollered into the bunkrooms, making Sadie jump.  
"You louses hear dat? Ten o'clock each night or else you can find somewhere to sleep that ain't here." If anyone had anything to say about it, they were going to wait till Spot couldn't hear because no one said anything except a chorus of 'Okay Spot'. Spot gave Sam a mock bow, which Sam returned just as sarcastically. Spot's mouth quirked up at the older man.  
"We're going to get along just fine, Mr. McAllen. I can tell." Sam smiled slightly at the younger boy.  
"I'm sure we will Mr. Conlon. Now if you'll excuse me." Bidding Sadie goodnight, he went back upstairs to Becca and the baby. Spot struck a match against the wall and lit a cigarette. Holding out the pouch that contained a few rolled smokes to Sadie, he smirked, as she shook her head, No. Sadie eyed him consideringly as he glowered back, silently inhaling and exhaling.  
"What's your problem," he finally shot at her, irritated with the staring. Cocking her head, she smiled without any warmth at him.  
"I was just wondering how someone gets to be as miserable as you obviously are." She didn't have time to take a breath before he was an inch away from her face, blowing a cloud of smoke straight at her. Coughing, she batted the pungent smoke away, her eyes tearing up.  
"In case you didn't notice, nobody talks to me that way. Especially a skinny little nothing like yo'self. Watch ya mouth girlie." With that he turned on his heel and walked into his little room, smoke trailing behind him. Furious, Sadie stalked down the stairs to her own room, where she tossed and turned for most of the night, finally giving up on sleep as the sky outside her tiny window turned pearly gray with dawn's light.  
Raising her head, she groaned inwardly. She was supposed to go looking for work today. If worse came to worse, she could get another position at a Brooklyn orphanage. Sitting up in bed, she felt around for her shawl that she had draped over her thin blanket. Pulling it on over her nightgown, she stumbled down the hallway towards the small washroom in her hallway. Splashing water over her face, she twisted her hair into a loose bun and studied herself in the smudged mirror.  
Tired gray eyes blinked back at her above her slightly upturned pert nose. Her face was thin, making her cheekbones more pronounced. She had a scar that sliced neatly through her right eyebrow and went halfway down the side of her face. She had gotten that one by falling down a flight of stairs in Boston and landing on a bottle. Hearing voices, she finished up in the wash room and poked her head around the doorjamb.  
The newsboys were trudging out the front door yawning, lighting up cigarettes or cigars, and talking to one another. Sadie was shocked that they got up this early. It had to have been a little after five in the morning. Darting into her room, she pulled her skirt on over her nightgown and wrapped her shawl securely around her upper body. As she exited her room again, she saw the last of the boys leaving, Spot bringing up the rear herding them with his cane. He wore his cap pulled down low, and his red suspenders hung off the sides of his pants.  
"C'mon ya bums, we're late."  
"Late? It's not even five-thirty in the morning and you're late?" Spot's head whipped around and he sneered at her.  
"What're you following us around?"  
"I couldn't sleep." Sadie fell instep beside him as they shut the front door and started walking down the sidewalk. The smaller boys stayed near Spot as well. One of them was the one who had gotten a bloody nose from Mumbles the night before. Sadie noticed Spot kept the little boys in his sights as they blearily walked along.  
"Your friend Sam seems like he's a okay guy." Sadie nodded and curled her lip slightly as Spot lit a cigarette up and discarded the match.  
"What're you doing today then?" Sadie looked over to see him eyeing her, his cigarette dangling out of the corner of his mouth. He looked as tired as the rest, but at least his eyes were friendlier than the night before.  
"Looking for work. There's no way I can walk to Manhattan in time to get to the orphanage where I used to work." Spot pointed towards a gray stone building as they passed it.  
"Some nuns run an orphanage there. Might be able to pick up a job if they need help. I'd let you sell papers, but I don't like girls selling. Unlike some other territories." She couldn't help but notice the disgust in his voice and see it on his face.  
"Why don't you like it? Seems fair to me that a girl can do the same job as a boy." Spot's mouth quirked up and he chuckled, exhaling a stream of blue smoke from his nostrils in spurts. Sadie giggled, and he looked at her surprised.  
"You looked like a picture of a dragon I saw in a book once." This time his smile was full and real, and she was astounded at the change in his features it brought about. He actually looked handsome and approachable. But his face quickly turned distant and angry once more as he explained.  
" Girls distract the boys from doing their work. It's all well and good if it's a skirt just passing by on the street. These boys don't stand a chance with a respectable girl so I ain't worried about them wasting their time trying. The only girls they can get come out at night. If I let girls work with us, than they'd be around constantly. Messing with the boys' heads and just causing all sorts of mayhem that ain't needed." Sadie frowned at his bitterness.  
"I don't think that's necessarily true. If the other boroughs have girls working for them, and they don't have problems, then why.."  
"I don't want to talk about it." His sharp words cut her off, and indicated that the discussion was over. Sadie's mouth thinned into a displeased line and she abruptly crossed the street and headed towards the orphanage Spot had pointed out a few minutes before. Throwing a look over her shoulder, she saw him standing there, his arms crossed, cane hanging out of a belt loop. Their eyes met, and held for a second before he flicked his cigarette into the street and continued walking. Muttering to herself, she sat on the steps of the orphanage to wait until it was a proper time to knock on the heavy oak door. 


	5. Chapter Five

Exiting the orphanage some time later, Sadie felt a lot better. The Mother Superior had offered her a job immediately once she had heard of her previous experience. She had also given her a job working with the infant orphans. She was to bathe them, feed them, change them and just mind them in general. Sadie was ecstatic. The other woman who worked with the infants was a young nun named Sister Agnes, a gentle soul with a kind, sweet face. Standing on the sidewalk, Sadie loosened her shawl and let it hang looped around her elbows. The sun had risen into a clear, midmorning sky. The streets were bustling with traffic and vendors, and people hurrying back and forth.  
Sadie decided to explore the neighborhood a bit before going to back to the lodging house. Walking down the street, she groaned inwardly at the sight of some of the newsboys eating apples furtively in an alleyway. One of them saw her, and motioned her over.  
"You're the girl what lives with us now right?" The speaker was a boy of about ten, his freckled face pale and dirty. His brown curly hair was covered by a battered black cap. Sadie nodded and he smiled at her.  
"I'm Spider and these are Frog and Lefty." He made a gesture that included the two other boys. Lefty looked older than Spider, his eyes were harder and darted every which way keeping an eye out for policemen. He grunted in her direction, looking up at her briefly, a lock of his brown hair falling into his eyes. Frog was the boy who had been hit by Mumbles. His nose was black and blue and looked swollen. He had to have been about six or seven. His brown trousers were patched up and the gray vest he wore almost went to his knees. He gave her a shy smile and her heart lurched at the sight of missing teeth.  
"You hungry? Noticed you left the same time we did and I don't think you ate." Spider was holding an apple up to her. She gratefully accepted it and slid down onto a crate next to the boys to eat it as fast as she could. Suddenly a whistle blew, and all three boys leapt to their feet, cursing and looking around wildly.  
"C'mon! It's the cops!" Frog and Lefty took off out of the alley like lightening, Frog's little legs churning. Spider grabbed Sadie's hand and pulled her up to her feet before charging out of the alley. Splitting up, Spider led Sadie away from the cops and down what seemed like fifty side streets and alleyways, over fences, and finally down to the riverside. Reaching the docks, Sadie was taken aback to see most of the newsboys swarming over one of them, Spot residing on a pile of wooden crates looking all the world like a king overseeing his subjects. It was too cold to swim, but most of the boys were practicing with their slingshots, Spot calling down pointers from time to time. He looked over at Spider and Sadie as they entered the scene, closely trailed by Frog and Lefty. Sides heaving, Sadie dropped down onto a crate and felt sick.  
Thump. She looked over to see Spot standing beside her, smoking a cigarette and swinging his cane. Frog collapsed near her feet, smiling up at her, than Spot. Spot's face softened momentarily as he ruffled the boy's blonde hair.  
"How's the nose there, Froggie?"  
"Not bad Spot."  
"Why d'you guys look like you went to Hell and back?" Spider spat onto the dock and lit the stub of a cigar. Leaning against a pillar, he wiped his chin off.  
"Coppers. We stole some apples and they blew the whistle so we all had to scram." Spot nodded and then looked at Sadie, with an amused grin.  
"You helped to steal apples? There's hope for you yet."  
"I didn't steal them, I just ate one." Spot clucked his tongue and looked at her disapprovingly. She rolled her eyes and looked right back at him. Chuckling, he sauntered off to help one of the smaller boys with his aim.  
"What's his problem anyway?" she whispered to Spider. Spider looked over at Spot and then back to her.  
"He's a tough guy. Usually he's got more charm when it comes to broads, but his girl just left him a week and a half ago."  
"Left him? Why?" Spider's mouth twisted into a smile.  
"In case you haven't noticed, Spot's not the easiest guy to get along with all the time. But he's our leader, and he's a damn good one. Couldn't have asked for another guy who knows how to run things, and watch out for the whole pack. His girl, Diamond, she was a great girl. But her and Spot are too alike, in all the bad ways. She ran off to Manhattan to be with Cowboy." Spider spat again, but this time it was in disgust.  
"Cowboy? You mean Jack?" Spider looked at her sideways and nodded. Sadie leaned back against a crate, and let the information soak in while listening to the boy's hooting and hollering when their marbles hit a target. Standing up, she asked Spider to show her back to the lodging house. He agreed, and they set off. Once reaching the building, he gave her a charming bow and a grin, and disappeared back towards the docks. Sadie ran inside, told Becca she was going to Manhattan, and that she'd be back either that night, or tomorrow morning.  
The walk back to Manhattan took as long as she remembered it. But at least this time, she wasn't lugging a heavy bag full of clothing. She assumed that since the Brooklyn boys were having a break already, that the Manhattan boys would be as well. She was right, they were in the square again, some of the boys play fighting with wooden swords, others shooting dice, and the rest hanging all over the statues and talking.  
"Well if it isn't Sadie!" Sadie grinned and sat down next to Crutchy. He looked happy to see her, and a few of the other boys came over to shake hands. Sadie noticed this time, that there were a few girls loitering around as well. Dressed like the boys, they held themselves with the same street-wise attitude and weren't as friendly looking. Spying Jack, she noticed a pretty redheaded girl with her arm around his waist. More than a few of the boys had black eyes, or bruises. The one she remembered as Mush had a sling around his left arm.  
"So where you been, Sadie? I haven't sold ya a paper in a few days." Sadie took a deep breath.  
"I live in Brooklyn now." Distrust flashed across Crutchy's eyes briefly before he looked at her again, curiously.  
"How'd that happen?" So Sadie told him the whole story, about Henry and not wanting to deal with him, Becca and Sam and Sam's new job. Moving into the lodging house. At the end, Crutchy's mouth was hanging open, and she saw that she had gathered an audience.  
"You live with the Brooklyn newsies?" A short, athletic girl had planted herself in Sadie's face, cigar stub held between strong white teeth. The fire shooting out of her dark eyes put Sadie on edge.  
"Yeah so what if I do?" Sadie leapt to the challenge, standing nose to nose with the dark haired girl. Two other girls quickly arrayed themselves behind Sadie's challenger, eyes angry and suspicious, fists clenched.  
"Did Spot send you to spy on us?" Sadie was confused. Crossing her arms, she looked at the girl coldly.  
"I don't know what you're talking about. He did no such thing." The girl laughed without any humor, and started cracking her knuckles.  
"Ink, Cloudy, Sorrow! Lay off. She's okay." Jack was striding over, his face angry. The girls started, and then stepped back, casting sullen looks at Jack. Ink stepped down only after pretending to lunge at Sadie, to make her flinch. Sadie held her ground and raised an eyebrow at the slightly smaller girl.  
"Maybe some other time honey," Sadie called out as the three girls sauntered away. Jack took Sadie's arm and led her a little bit away from the crowd of newsies. His girl followed.  
"Sadie this is,"  
"I know, Diamond right?" The girl nodded her eyes guarded.  
"Spider told me what happened." Diamond flashed a quick smile.  
"How is he?" Sadie told her the story of their morning meal, and Diamond laughed shaking her head.  
"Yup that's Spider and his little hooligans for ya."  
"What's with those other girls?" Diamond and Jack exchanged looks.  
"Spot's declared it unsafe for any Manhattan kids to go into Brooklyn. The racetrack is there though, and as you know, some of us like to gamble. Our boys aren't as fight worthy as most of the Brooklyn boys, so we're getting murdered every time we cross the Bridge." Diamond lit a cigarette and held it out to Jack, who gazed at her with soft brown eyes for a moment before taking it and inhaling. Sadie raised an eyebrow and frowned.  
"I wish that Spot wasn't hurt, this would have been so much easier." Sadie didn't open her mouth to voice her opinion. There were two sides to every story, and she was sure Diamond had her reasons for leaving Spot. Just not in the manner that she had done so.  
"Don't worry about Spot, doll. He don't have a heart." Diamond sighed, and shook her head furrowing her eyebrows.  
"That's not true, Jack. We both know that he does. That's why he's doing this. He's furious and hurt and it's all my fault." Jack silenced her with a glare.  
"No, it ain't. Don't say shit like that. Our boys can look after themselves; I don't think Spot's told his goons to murder 'em. Just rough 'em up a little. Things will die down."  
"And if they don't?" Jack stared at the cigarette he pinched in between his pointer finger and thumb and sighed discontentedly.  
"Then me and the boys and Spot's boys will have to settle things once and for all." Sadie shuddered at the finality of his voice and noticed that Diamond had done so as well. Then the Distribution bell rang for the afternoon edition, and the newsboys and girls all trailed off down the street towards the Distribution yard. Diamond invited Sadie to tag along with her.  
"We need to talk, you and I," She whispered into Sadie's ear. Sadie just shrugged and kept close to Diamond for the other newsgirls were looking at her darkly and muttering in low tones. She glared back at them boldly and started to ignore them.  
After picking up newspapers, the kids all split up to go to their respective corners or selling spots. Diamond grasped Sadie's sleeve and pulled her along after her towards Irving Hall where she must have taken over a spot.  
"Okay," she said when they finally stopped.  
"While I sell, I want you to tell me how Spot seems to be doing. It's important. EXTRY EXTRY! OUTBREAK OF BODIES FOUND IN SEWERS! AUTHORITIES BAFFLED!" Sadie flipped to the page she heard Diamond tell a lady the story was on, and stifled a laugh. The story was about some dead rats that had floated up from the sewers.  
"Spot seems.Angry. Very angry. I wouldn't really know how he's doing, Diamond. He doesn't like me; he's barely said a civil word to me since I arrived which was granted only a day or two ago. But he just seems on edge." Diamond nodded.  
"He's like that all the time, really. Only with a few people does he ever let his guard down. And I can count all those people on one hand. Hah, can you imagine? I've actually seen Spot Conlon cry. Nobody has done that and lived to tell about it." She snorted without mirth and sold another few papers. People seemed drawn to her red hair. It shone like a beacon in the cold, raw twilight.  
"But if you do ever get to see the real him, you'd understand that I really am torn up about how all this went. Me and Jack, we just started spending time together whenever I'd go to Manhattan. And with each day I spent less and less time with Spot. And he began to notice. We fought, and I just couldn't take it anymore. It's so hard loving someone like him. He sucks the life out of you." Sadie put a hand on Diamond's shoulder and squeezed it gently. The girl's voice was gruff with emotion. Blue eyes met gray and they silently sat together on the sidewalk, occasionally selling papers, not speaking. Finally as the sun began to set, Diamond sold her last paper and rose, brushing off the seat of her pants.  
"Do you have a place to stay for the night?" Sadie shook her head, No. Diamond jerked her chin in the direction of the Distribution center.  
"C'mon, the lodging house is nearby. You can stay with us there. Besides, if you want to start being friends with Manhattan, you better stand up to those girls. No self-respecting Brooklyn girl would let them do what they did to you today." Sadie found herself smiling. She WAS a Brooklyn girl now. And with that came a certain pride in the tough neighborhood she had moved too.  
"Well I was a Manhattan girl a few days ago. But now I guess I have to start learning how to deal with Brooklyn kids. And this seems like a perfect place to practice." Together they linked arms and walked down the sidewalk towards the Manhattan Lodging House. 


	6. Chapter Six

Angelfish7-You'll have to wait and see, but I don't see Diamond getting back with Spot in this story, sorry :/  
  
Hills of Eire-Oh you bet I will make Sadie act more like a Brooklyn girl, thanks for your reviews  
  
Kellyerielf--- Thank you so much, I hope I can continue doing such a good job, like you described. :)  
  
Walking up to a door that had a simple sign painted over the top that read 'Newsboys Lodging House', the two girls greeted a few boys who were sitting on the front stoop smoking. One was Racetrack, who grinned at Diamond, and then bent over Sadie's hand kissing it.  
"Good evenin' ladies. Wonderful night, just wonderful." Diamond snickered with laughter at the short Italian boy. He put a hand to his heart over his checkered vest and pretended to look mournful.  
"You hurt me, Diamond really you do. I'm just trying to welcome the new girl. Plus, I made a killing at the tracks." Sadie noticed that he appeared unmarked and curiously asked him why none of Spot's boys had gotten him.  
"My lucky day, they weren't at the track. Poker anyone?" Tapping ash off of his cigar, he swaggered inside followed by the two other boys, Kid Blink and Snoddy. Diamond and Sadie shrugged and looked at each other before going inside after them. Diamond paused to sign her name in at the ledger on a creaky old desk squatting in the corner. A wrinkled, tough looking old man with a black bowler hat and spectacles sat on a stool, barking commands to the four little boys sword fighting in his lobby with wooden swords.  
"Tumbler! Fly! Jinx! Crouch! You better not put holes in any of these walls or I swear it'll be your hides! Good evening Diamond, who's this?" Sadie found herself being assessed by a pair of surprisingly warm brown eyes.  
"Her name's Sadie, Kloppman. She's just stayin' the night. She comes from Brooklyn." Sadie groaned inwardly. Surely the old man wouldn't react kindly to anyone coming from Brooklyn right now, but he just patted her hand and told her to sign the book.  
"Spot used to be a regular over-niter here. He just needs some time to calm down." Sadie nodded and said something in agreement as she wrote her name beneath Diamond's. Together the two girls dodged the small boys and clattered up the stairs. Sadie began to wish that she wore pants like the other girls she had seen. It was easier for them to move around and run than in heavy woolen skirts.  
Once upstairs, Sadie found herself in a hallway. There were only two rooms, one quite large, and the other a little bit smaller. Both were full of bunk beds. The larger room opened up into a washroom at one end with stalls to go to the bathroom, sinks with mirrors, and a pump with a metal laundry tub to wash with. Most of the kids only really bathed in the summer, when it was warm out. It took too long to heat up the water in the winter. Especially if the pipes happened to freeze, as they often did. In the larger room, boys lounged on bunk beds or sat at a small circular table propped up in one corner, playing cards. Diamond led Sadie into the smaller room first, where she realized the girls all slept. The loud buzz of chatter instantly died as the came through the doorway.  
"What's SHE doin' here?" Sadie recognized the speaker as the girl Ink, who had accosted her before. The two others, Sorrow and Cloudy glowered at her from the bunk bed they shared. Sorrow was a rather thin, willowy girl with silver hair in a thick braid like Sadie's and chocolate brown eyes. Cloudy could have been Sadie's younger sister; their coloring was the same. Black hair, gray eyes, pale skin. There were only two other girls in the room, both younger than all the other girls, who were easily in their mid-teens.  
"I am named Sadie, and I am spending the night. Deal with it." Diamond covered her smile with a hand and winked at Sadie as she pointed out her bunkbed. The bottom looked slept in, but the top was all made up so Sadie assumed nobody shared it with her.  
"I ain't sleepin in the same room as someone who lives with the rat who's been soaking our boys. One of 'em almost got Sorrow a few days ago!" Ink's face was livid with rage, and her fists were clenched. Black eye's snapping, she advanced on Sadie. That was when all the anger about having to leave home to live with a bunch of rude boys, with one in particular who treated her like a piece of dog shit he found on his boot, because of another boy who threatened her kicked in and Sadie lost her temper.  
"THAT'S IT! I've had just about enough of this! I don't agree with what Spot's doing, I just live in his lodging house. My friend is the new manager there, and I had to leave home and that's the ONLY place I could think of to go! I'M not the one beating up ANYBODY, so you can take your attitude and stick it up your ASS!" With that, she shoved Ink so hard that the girl flew backwards a few feet and slammed into the adjacent wall. Ink leapt up and charged Sadie, swinging a fist towards her face, but Sadie ducked and socked her in the kidney. Ink bent over in pain, dropping the cigar she had been chewing on out of her mouth onto the wooden floor. Wheezing, she backed up until she could lean against the two younger girls' bunk and looked up at Sadie.  
"Jesus Christ where did you learn to hit like that?" Sadie, face flushed and adrenaline pumping, just shrugged.  
"I'm from Boston. We didn't live in a nice neighborhood." Ink suddenly laughed and rubbing her lower back, picked up her cigar before clapping Sadie on the shoulder.  
"And all this time I thought you looked like a milk sop. Way to prove me wrong. You're okay kid. I'm sure you already know, but I'm Ink, that's Sorrow and Cloudy, and the two other girls are Truth and Snide. I'm sorry to do this but," Ink suddenly lashed out with a right jab that caught Sadie in the eye. Sadie's head flew back and she hissed in pain.  
"I can't let ya hit me and not at least get one in. Are we even now?" Sadie caught the slight hint of apprehension in the other girl's voice and smiled through her hurt. Diamond had cried out, and pulling Sadie over to her bed, she took her hands away from her face and examined the eye.  
"Yeah, I'd say you're even. That wasn't a fair hit, Ink." Sorrow stood nearby, hands on her narrow hips, frowning. Ink shrugged, and made a face. Diamond turned her head and barked an order to Cloudy to go get something for Sadie's eye.  
"Good Lord, what're you girls doing in here, starting your own amateur boxing ring?" Amused faces of some of the boys appeared in the doorway. Jack stalked in and pointed a finger at Ink.  
"I told you to let her alone, but you didn't. You want I should kick your ass out of here?" Ink shook her head and Jack gave her a cold look for a few more seconds before swatting at her head playfully.  
"Then mind your ass, or it'll get a kicking from me." Kneeling down so that he was level with Sadie, he peered at her eye as well.  
"Yup, you're going to have one hell of a shiner. Did you get a good hit in at least?" Ink lifted up her burgundy colored shirt to reveal a welt on her skin where her kidney was. Jack and the other boys crowed with laughter. Cloudy returned with a cloth carrying some ice Kloppman had spared. Sadie was herded into the boy's room with the rest of the girls to play a few hands of poker. She noticed that the other girls looked at her differently now, and even began to joke around with her and talk to her like they talked to the rest of the gang. They sat up for an hour or two before Kloppman came up the stairs hollering for them all to go to bed, didn't they know they had to get up early just like every other day? After some good-natured grumbling, everyone retired to his or her bunks.  
"G'night Brooklyn," she heard Ink say in the darkness. Sadie grinned, and although her eye still throbbed and was swollen shut, it was a good pain. Turning onto her side, she drifted off to sleep.  
  
Sadie awoke with Kloppman yelling once again, for all the kids to 'Get up! Carry da Banner!' She heard thumps as people rolled out of their bunks and blearily stumbled into the washroom to splash cold water on their faces. Rolling out of bed, she stumbled into the washroom after the rest of the girls, and with an escort of Racetrack and Kid Blink, made it to the Brooklyn Bridge. After bidding the two boy's goodbye, she found her way to the street where Spot had pointed out the orphanage and spent most of the day looking after the infants that were in her charge. The afternoon found her down on the docks with Spider, Lefty, and Frog. They had decided to show her how to use a slingshot, much to their amusement. The setting afternoon sun found her shooting targets off of a far dock railing. Spot decided to check on them before the sun sank beneath the East River.  
"Where did you get that black eye?" Sadie leapt in shock at his question, not expecting it. Spot stood near the railing, wearing a red and white gingham checkered shirt with his usual red suspenders and dark brown trousers. Pulling back the rubber on her slingshot, she sighted down her arm towards a bottle sitting perched on a railing.  
"I got it in Manhattan." Spot frowned and then smiled widely as she missed the bottle by a long shot. Stepping behind her, he took her hands in his own, set up the slingshot again, aimed their arms and hit the bottle off of the railing. Face flushing, Sadie mumbled her thanks and glared at Spider, who was snickering off to one side. Smugly, Spot tapped his cane on the dock, and gave the three other boys a pointed look. They said good-bye to Sadie, and immediately trooped off down the dock towards the lodging house.  
"Manhattan, huh? Who hit ya?" Spot leaned against a pillar and lit a smoke.  
"Ink." Spot's mouth lifted into a crooked smile and squinted as the sun hit his eyes.  
"Ink's a tough broad. Mostly mouth, but she can hit."  
"Yeah well I hit her in the kidney."  
"You?"  
"Yeah" Spot's eyebrows raised and he laughed this time, a gruff, infectious sound.  
"I'm impressed kid. You don't seem like you got it in ya." Spot flicked his cigarette and looked suddenly hesitant.  
"How was Diamond? Did you meet a girl named Diamond?" Sadie's eyes dropped to her feet, and she fidgeted before sitting down on a crate. Spot moved over and sat on the crate next to her, his gaze intent.  
"Yeah. I met her. I helped her sell her papers. She seemed okay. She isn't very happy with the way things are going." Spot spat onto the dock and his eyebrows furrowed in anger. Sadie put her hands on her knees and gripped them tightly. Spot suddenly lost all the tension in his back and shoulders and he threw his cigarette off of the dock before sighing heavily.  
"I can't keep beating up Manhattan kids for what her and Jack have done. I know it ain't their faults. I just wish." He stopped and pulled a small, battered, tarnished silver flask out of his back pocket and took a swig. Wincing, he held it out to Sadie. Gingerly taking it from his newsprint stained hands, she took a swallow and coughed at the burning liquid that flooded down her throat. It gathered in her stomach in a molten pool of whiskey, making her feel deliciously warm in the rapidly cooling air.  
" Ever had whiskey before?" Sadie looked up and their eyes caught. Shaking her head, he took the flask back and swallowed more before handing it to her again.  
"It goes down easier as you drink more. Got any plans?"  
"No not that I know of."  
"Good. Me and you are going to sit here and drink this, and you're going to tell me about your visit to Manhattan." Not one to argue with someone who was never argued with, Sadie nodded her acceptance and began her story of the day and night before. When she was done, she sat back, feeling light-headed and realized that she hadn't eaten anything all day. It had grown dark, and the street lamps had gone on. The black water of the river slapped gently against the dock's pilings and lulled the two teenagers into a mellow state. Belly's filled with cheap whiskey helped that along as well.  
"Diamond must hate me." Spot's voice made her jerk her nodding head up and she blinked in confusion. Seeing the glowing tip of a cigarette next to her, she remembered that she was sitting with Spot at the docks.  
"She doesn't hate you, she told me she loves you. Just not in the way I think you want her to." Spot laughed bitterly and Sadie winced at the sound.  
"I know you don't know me from a hole in the wall and could probably give a rat's ass about what I have to say, but I think that Diamond and Jack care about you very much, Spot. I think you care about them too. And I think it scares the shit out of you." Liquid courage fueled her words, and Sadie ranted on, not heeding what she was saying.  
"You think that because she left you, she's a whore and Jack should get beaten. But there had to have been something that you did to make her leave, Spot. Why can't you take your part of the blame instead of laying it all on them?"  
"Shut up." Spot's voice was raw and hoarse. Grabbing Sadie's shoulders he stood up, ripping her to her feet along with him. He bent his head so that they were nose to nose, and she could smell the whiskey on his breath.  
"You got a lot of balls, talking to me like that Sadie. Or should I call you Trouble? You do always seem to be landing yourself straight in the middle of it on a daily basis." Sadie didn't speak, just rigidly lay on his chest trying to ignore the pinching grip of his hands. Spot suddenly dipped his head lower and kissed her. It was a gentle half-kiss. One that wasn't demanding and was almost just a pressing of his lips to hers. Sadie's eyes widened and she squirmed.  
"What're you doing?" She managed to say when he pulled his mouth away. Dropping his hands from her arms, he smiled and she could see the white flash of his teeth in the moonlight.  
"You reminded me of her for a moment there." Sadie felt anger course through her veins and she reached out with a quick hand and slapped him across the face. Spot's hand shot out like a viper striking and he grabbed her to him again.  
"Spare me your shit, Conlon. I don't let boys kiss me because I remind them of their old girls." Sadie hissed at him through clenched teeth. She felt Spot's chest vibrate with laughter. Tilting her chin up with a finger, he gazed down at her.  
"How about because we're drunk then?" Sadie shoved against his chest and angrily shook her head. He was a rather solid young man for someone who looked so lean. Spot sighed and let her go before reaching down and picking up his cane from the crates where they had been sitting.  
"Have it your way then Trouble. At least let me walk you back to the lodging house. It's dark, you're drunk, and there's no way in Hell I'm letting you skip around the streets of Brooklyn at night by yourself." Sadie stuck her nose in the air and hitched her shawl up around her shoulders tightly.  
"Fine," she said walking past him with a sniff.  
"And don't call me Trouble," she added before stalking away, him following his laughter echoing in the night. 


	7. Chapter Seven

Hills of Eire - Thanks once again! There just might be a romance, but I don't want it to be the main focal point. Maybe in the sequel ;)  
  
Wsox2004- I noticed that myself earlier, and I thought I had corrected it, but I went back and saw that I hadn't caught all of the mistakes. I'll take care of it. I don't like cheesy romances; the ones that are more complicated interest me better. I'm not going to let it take over the story.  
  
Angelfish7 - You'll just have to wait and see ;)  
  
Kellyerielf - Glad you liked it, I had already started the chapter when I put the one before it up, so it didn't take me long. Hehe..thank you!  
  
A/N --- I don't know if there actually is or was a Doyle Street in Brooklyn, but for the purpose of this story and events to come, I've put it there.  
  
The next day Sadie awoke with a pounding headache. Silently cursing Spot Conlon to the lowest depths of Hell, she splashed water onto her pale face and tied her hair up with a length of gray ribbon. Lacing up her boots, she heard the thunderous footsteps of the newsboys clomping down the stairs to start their day. This time swearing out loud, she left the washroom with a resigned air about her. Spot stood at the doorway, a smirk on his face swinging his cane.  
"Good mornin' Sunshine."  
"Go to Hell." He barked out a laugh and poked her with his cane as she swept by him. Whirling around furiously, she found herself once more practically nose to nose with the boy. Spot had circles under his eyes, and the hand that he raised to his mouth to take a drag of his cigarette had grazed and swollen knuckles.  
"What did you do?" Spot shrugged and shut the door of the lodging house behind them as they walked down the street. Up ahead, the other boys were looking at the overcast sky and praying that the rain would hold off till nightfall.  
"I went out last night after I brought you back." Sadie's face turned hot as she fully remembered last night. Clearing her throat, she busied herself by re-wrapping her shawl. Sneaking a quick glance out of the corner of her eye, she caught Spot doing the same, and they both blushed this time.  
"When do the nuns let you have a break?" Sadie looked over again at Spot. They were nearing the orphanage. Rocking on her heels, she stopped.  
"They let me have lunch at twelve o'clock. That's when the babies take their naps anyway. Why do you want to know?" Spot grinned at her challenging tone.  
"I figure maybe if I buy you lunch you'll let me kiss you again." Sadie punched him on the arm, and he contorted his face in mock pain before laughing at her.  
"You are an ass, Spot Conlon."  
"Hey I resemble that remark." In a huff, Sadie turned to cross the street. Spot caught her arm, and sliding his cane into his belt loop, he looked at her, his face serious.  
"I'll be by to get you at twelve." Sadie rolled her eyes and started walking away.  
"I won't be there," she hollered over her shoulder as she ran across the cobblestones.  
"Have a good day Trouble!" she heard him call as she reached the front stoop of the orphanage. Shaking her head she entered the building, greeted Sister Agnes, and began her day of taking care of ten children under the age of three.  
  
Spot rejoined his gang of newsboys at the Distribution yard. They all were leaning up against the brick wall of the building smoking and yawning. Whiskey stood at the head of the line, and he bowed with a flourish as Spot took his place in front of him.  
"So boss, got a new girl?" Spot shot a look at Whiskey. Whiskey's eyes were bleary and he furtively massaged his temples. After Spot had unceremoniously thrown the tipsy Sadie over his shoulder and dumped her into bed, a fact which he was willing to bet she didn't remember, he had gone upstairs, collected Whiskey and the two had gone to a small Irish pub down the street. There they had drank pints and gotten into a brawl with a few factory goons out in the back alley before stumbling home somewhere after three in the morning. The front door had been locked, true to Sam's rule, but Spot had cased the building in the event that this very thing would happen, and he had left the window to his small room open. After dragging Whiskey up the fire escape and sending him to bed, Spot had sat in the windowsill wrapped in his threadbare woolen blanket smoking a cigarette. When dawn appeared, he had gotten the rest of the boys up and waited for Sadie. That was one thing Spot could always do. Survive on no or little sleep. His insomnia had bothered Diamond and countless other girls to no end.  
"Sadie's not my girl." Whiskey smiled painfully, and winked at Spot.  
"Sure, boss. Whatever you say." Angrily, Spot rapped on the wooden board covering the window where they bought their papers. Jake Dunn, the manager swung the board up and looked at Spot through the bars.  
"Keep yer shirt on Conlon, the papers are almost here." The board was promptly dropped back into place. Spot sneered and spat on the ground.  
"So if she ain't your girl, you mind if some of the rest of us try her on for size?" Spot's foul mood wasn't helped by Mumbles' question.  
"None of you bums are going to 'try her on for size'. Hands off, you hear me?" Mumbles rolled his dark brown eyes and jammed his cap down onto his red hair. He was a strongly built boy of about sixteen a year younger than Spot.  
"So she IS your girl."  
"SHUT UP WHISKEY!" Spot heard the younger boys giggling at the end of the line. Exasperated, he flung himself down onto a crate and waited for Dunn to get the lead out of his pants and sell them their papers. When he finally bought his papers, Spot left the yard intent on making money. He wasn't sure if chasing Sadie was the wisest thing to do being that they had just met, but something about the girl made him feel comfortable and relaxed. Two things that he had been lacking in for the past month. Reaching his spot, he sold a handful of papers to a gang of men on their way to the factories and was about to walk a ways down the street when the deep voice of a man stopped him in his tracks.  
"Hey you, kid." Spot slowly turned around, his eyes ice cold. There were two men standing near him on the sidewalk. Both were rough looking characters with unshaven faces, shifty eyes and clothes that hadn't been washed in awhile. One was fingering a club he wore through a belt loop much as Spot did. The one who spoke had a strange light in his eyes.  
"We're looking for a girl. She used to live over my father's shop in Manhattan, but she left a few days ago. I know she was getting to be friends with a gang of newsboys so I figured the chance of her coming to Brooklyn and staying with some of you kids was good. Her name's Sadie. Sadie Pruett. Heard of her?"  
"Who's askin'?" Generally Spot didn't mess around with any of the more mature hooligans in the area. He kept his boys in line and soaked any other kids his age and a little older that stepped over their boundaries. But the adults made him nervous.  
"Nevermind that, you tell her if you know her to go to 30 Doyle Street, apartment 3A to talk to an old friend."  
"Doyle Street? You one of Jasper MacKendrick's boys?" The man with the club snarled and whipped it out waving it in Spot's impassive face.  
"Listen here, you little shit. You just pass our message along. We don't answer questions we ask 'em." Spot felt his gaze deaden and his adrenaline speed up like it always did when he got riled.  
"Really," he said slowly and flatly. The man with the funny eyes held up a hand and gave the other goon a warning look. Trying to smile pleasantly at Spot, but instead ending up just baring his teeth, the man turned around and walked away. After a second of glaring at Spot the man with the club did so as well. Spot's warning senses were aflame. Doyle Street was known for it's rough bars and even rougher inhabitants. A gang who called themselves the Doyle Street Boys ran that street with bats and brassknuckles. Spot knew Jasper McKendrick well. He had been the older brother of the old leader of the Brooklyn newsboys, Ashes. Indeed, Jasper had saved Spot's ass on many occasions when he had shot his mouth off to an older boy higher on the gang leader ladder.  
Looking at the backs of the two goons as they made their way back towards Doyle Street, Spot felt an unexpected urge to see Sadie. He obviously now knew that she was in deep shit to have gotten entangled with someone affiliated with the Doyle boys. A queer sense of worry came over him as he started off towards the orphanage. Spot always looked out for his newsboys and whatever dames he chose to keep around him, but he suddenly wanted to lock Sadie in her bedroom and never let her out of his sight.  
"Trouble definitely suits her," he said out loud with a smirk. He didn't notice the man with the strange eyes had stopped and was watching him hurry off in the opposite direction. He didn't see the man smile to himself and begin to follow him making sure to keep out of sight. 


	8. Chapter Eight

------------ Kellyerielf- Aww, thank you so much! I look forward to getting feedback just as much as you look forward to new chapters. : )  
  
Callista-bella- Yes ma'am! Here you go.  
  
Wsox2004- Thank you muchly. And boy ain't that the truth about trouble.  
  
Fivefold- Yup, that's Sadie's new nickname.  
  
Hills of Eire- That sounds like a fine mixture to me! ; ) Thank ya! -- ------------  
  
By the time Spot reached the orphanage, his mind was racing. This past couple of weeks had just been way too much for him. Knocking on the heavy oak door, he slicked his unruly hair back and readjusted his gray cap. Smoothing the front of his shirt, he made sure his cane was securely hanging from his belt loop and his slingshot was out of sight in his back pocket. An elderly nun with shrewd eyes answered his knock.  
"What can I do for ye lad?" Her heavy Irish brogue reminded him sharply of his grandmother and he shook his head slightly before clearing his throat and answering.  
" I'm here to see Sadie Pruett. I have important news she needs to hear." The nun looked at him levelly before stepping aside and allowing him entry. Clucking her tongue at his cane, she led him down a dark hallway. In some rooms Spot could see children laying on bunkbeds. In others there were desks and tables and children were obviously being educated. Spot smiled as he heard young voices reciting sums. He could remember a time, long ago when he too had been in school. The nun pointed towards a room with walls painted a soft yellow. Nervously, he poked his head around the doorjamb.  
Sadie sat in a rocking chair alongside a young nun, each holding an infant in their arms. The nun was singing quietly and Sadie's eyes were closed a small smile on her face. Spot felt his guts lurch and angry with himself, he stepped fully into the room and coughed. Sadie's eyes flew open and she looked at him in surprise. Spot put a smug grin onto his face as he sauntered towards her, looking around. There were bassinets with other sleeping infants in them and a few trundle beds alongside the walls with napping toddlers.  
"Spot, what are you doing here? It's not even lunch time yet." Throwing a quick glance at the nun, who had risen and was looking at Spot curiously, he knelt down by Sadie's rocking chair.  
"We gotta talk. Someone's looking for you and they've got some pretty impressive connections." Spot saw a flash of fear cross Sadie's face before she rose, put the infant she had been holding in her arms into a cradle, and told the young nun she was taking her break. Grabbing Spot's hand, she led him back the way he had come and they exited the orphanage. Spot pulled her down the street a ways into an alleyway.  
"What's going on?" Spot lit a cigarette and took a drag.  
"Some guy came up to me this morning asking me if I knew a Sadie Pruett who used to live above his father's shop in Manhattan. I didn't like him, he had shifty eyes. Anyway he told me he's staying on Doyle Street which can only mean that he's hooked himself up with the Doyle Street Boys. And honey, there ain't any tougher older gang in Brooklyn than the Doyle Street Boys. Even the bulls are afraid of 'em." Sadie moaned and leaned against a building, her knees having suddenly gone shaky.  
"SHIT!" Spot was startled into chuckling by her sudden outburst.  
"This isn't funny, Conlon. That man is Henry Foster and he's not a good person. He has this.oh I don't know infatuation with me. He thinks we should be together." Spot had stopped laughing.  
"So he's a grade A creep?" Sadie nodded and they stood together silently for awhile, thoughts racing. Spot suddenly heard a little sniff and a squeaking noise. Looking over at Sadie, he saw her struggling not to burst out into tears. Panic shot through him. He hated it when girl's cried. Honestly absolutely hated it. He felt helpless and such an outpouring of emotion took him aback.  
"Hey now," he said gruffly, "Don't cry then. We'll think of something Trouble." One of the corners of Sadie's mouth lifted slightly before lips quivering she failed miserably at her attempt to not cry. Gulping in huge gusts of air, she broke down. Spot hesitantly put his arm around her shoulder and froze when she buried her face into his chest.  
Spot threw all caution to the wind and wrapped his arms around her, resting his cheek on her head. Muttering what he hoped were words of comfort, he was rewarded when she finally stopped crying with a shuddering sigh, and raised her face up to him. He cracked a grin at her runny nose and red eyes.  
"I just.. Had nowhere else to go thanks to Henry. And now I'm not safe in Brooklyn either."  
"Like Hell you're not! This is my borough. That guy won't even know what hit him when he finds out Jasper and me are like this," he held up two narrow fingers side by side. Hope shone in Sadie's eyes and she wiped her nose on her sleeve, an action which made Spot smile crookedly again.  
"We've got to go to the lodging house so I can send Whiskey and Mumbles to arrange a meeting with Jasper. I can't go obviously because Henry knows what I look like. The less trouble I can make for Jasper while he solves our problem the better." Sadie looked up at Spot.  
"Our problem?" Spot frowned and awkwardly kicked the toe of his boot into the ground.  
"Er.your problem I meant." Grabbing Sadie's hand in his dirty one, he made an apologetic face and went to wipe it on his pants. Sadie looked at him steadily and held fast dirt and all. Spot felt that little fluttering in his stomach again before he began walking quickly back to the lodging house, Sadie in tow.  
While they walked, Spot worked things over in his head. He hoped Jasper was still friendly with him. It had been awhile since he'd gone over there for a drink or a card game. Jasper was at the best, temperamental. If he had been drinking, then he was more apt to be violent. Truthfully after Spot had hooked up with Diamond he had lost a lot of connections and let friendships get weak. He vowed to never do that again. You were only as strong as the other people you knew sometimes. Spot was one of the strongest, and his web of connections was vast. But he had let things get lax with Diamond being around. It was time to step up and fix things.  
Back at the lodging house, the boys were taking their brief break before it was time to sell the afternoon addition. Spot ignored the amused glances he got from walking up to them holding Sadie's hand. He ignored them pointedly until Sadie broke free to talk to Spider and Lefty. Waving Mumbles and Whiskey over, he took them aside and explained the situation. Both boys weren't wild about having to go to Doyle Street, but they nodded stoically, filled pockets with marbles and a knife or two and set off. Spot settled down to wait for Jasper's reply and to keep an eye on Sadie.  
  
The afternoon had come and gone, the boys had sold their papers again and were straggling back with sore feet by the time Whiskey and Mumbles returned. Whiskey was staggering slightly and he stank of the liquid he was named after. Mumbles had a dark face and he was muttering angrily. Spot leapt up from the front stoop, eyes curious.  
"Oh Shpot. Jashper shaid he'd meet you at Molly O'sh in an hour. He wash wondering what the Hell happened to you. We told him it was (hic) top shecret." Whiskey's eyes were struggling to focus on Spot's face. Spot snickered with laughter. Clapping Mumbles on the back, he pulled him away.  
"Did it go okay?" Mumbles nodded.  
"Yeah but Jesus Christ can Whiskey drink. I've had to watch him the whole walk back to make sure he didn't fall in front of a carriage. Stupid boy can't stay away from the booze." Spot shrugged. Most of the boys had problems with alcohol. It was a product of their upbringing and the fact that they didn't want to deal with reality most of the time. Reality wasn't a great place for a lot of them.  
"Get Snot, Pirate, and Sketch. Whiskey ain't going to be of use to me tonight I can tell, and I want some boys with me at the bar. Tell Pirate to bring his shillelagh." Mumbles nodded and went upstairs to get the older boys Spot had listed. Pirate MacNamara had a genuine shillelagh that he had inherited from his father before he died. It came in rather useful for busting skulls. Not that Spot was too worried about fighting with Jasper, but he didn't trust that other one. Henry, yes that was his name. He'd had the strange feeling that he had been followed when he went to pick up Sadie.  
"Switchblade, Rooster, Crybaby and Whispers c'mere." The group of boys who were just under being in the oldest group of boys detached themselves from a craps game going on next to the front stoop and came over. They were all either fourteen or fifteen. Just growing into being young men.  
"You four are in charge while I'm gone. We may have some trouble afoot. If anything happens, ANYTHING you get the new manager and his family out of here, along with the little boys." They nodded and chests puffed out with pride swaggered back to the game. Snot, Pirate, Sketch and Mumbles returned Pirate bouncing his shillelagh in one of his hands.  
"All right men we're going to Molly O's. I don't want no trouble unless it gets started by Jasper. We're just there to talk, okay? Sadie!" Sadie looked over from where she was standing with Spider and Lefty.  
"You're coming with us. Better for me to keep an eye on you that way."  
  
In an alleyway close by, Henry Foster bounced on the heels of his feet and silently laughed with glee. If he couldn't have Sadie, then he was bound and determined to make her life Hell. He had almost gone after the disgusting newsboy when he saw him embrace Sadie in the alleyway near the orphanage. When he had talked to the boy earlier, he hadn't thought that he was telling the truth. It had been near impossible to tell since the boy was quite adept at hiding his thoughts and emotions, but he had been too cautious once Sadie's name had been mentioned.  
Watching the scruffy army arm themselves and be on the alert, he wondered where the older group of boys was heading off too. He saw Sadie join them, and his breath caught. The sun had finally come through the clouds and it hit her black hair making it appear almost blue-black. She looked upset, but turned her face up to smile at something the boy with red suspenders whispered in her ear. Henry felt his anger begin to boil and he narrowed his eyes and fixed them on the skinny leader's back.  
That one was going to have to pay for interfering.  
  
A loud burst of Irish music slapped the group in the face as they opened the door to Molly O's, a little corner pub down by the docks. Sadie kept close to Spot, grasping his sleeve firmly. The bar was surprisingly full, but Sadie realized it was probably later than she thought.  
"Spot me darlin'! Come give your Auntie Molly a squeeze." Sadie looked at Spot and saw that he was beaming. A middle-aged woman with red hair wearing a low-cut blouse with a brilliant scarlet shawl looped over her shoulders and a black flowing skirt swept over and gathered Spot up in a tight embrace. Spot kissed her on her cheek, which made her put a hand to her heavily rouged face in mock wonder before pretending to swoon.  
"Oh the great Spot Conlon kissed me. Did you see that Maude?" 'Maude' a heavily made up waitress with old eyes and a young face laughed from the bar. Molly O moved her green-eyed gaze to Sadie and smiled.  
"And what do we have here? Replaced Diamond already?"  
"Naw Molly. Sadie's better than Diamond." Sadie felt her face burn and she pinched Spot's arm. Yelping, he pulled her to him in a casual headlock and ruffled her hair. Molly watched the whole exchange with an amused smile on her face. Molly O held out a thin hand that Sadie shook firmly. Approval lit Molly O's eyes, and she waved a hand over her head.  
"Drinks on the house for your gang, Conlon!" The boys cheered and she bent close to Spot's ear.  
"Your friend is in the back, try not to start any trouble boy-o." Giving him a smack on the rear as he passed which made Spot jump and yelp in indignation, Molly O laughed uproariously and went back to her other patrons.  
"Oh my," was all Sadie could utter as they squeezed through the crowded tables. Spot had an affectionate smile on his face.  
"Molly O ain't really my aunt, but she's been lookin' after me I guess you could say since I was seven and my parents kicked the bucket" Curiously, Sadie opened her mouth to ask him about that, but he gave her a look and she shut it abruptly. Reaching the back, Sadie felt uneasy at the young men sitting there. They all had the same wild, rough air about them that Spot's gang did. But these men were older, and had been at the street life longer. Their eyes constantly roved about them and the air surrounding them was charged with tension. Spot stood rigidly until one of them stood up, a smile making his face seem almost friendly.  
"Spot you bastard, it's been ages." The speaker was a tall; broad shouldered young man of about twenty-five or so. He had closely cropped blonde hair and hard gray eyes. He wore a patch like Kid Blink from Manhattan, but the tip of a wide scar appeared above the patch slicing through his eyebrow much like the scar Sadie had on her own cheek did. He wore nice gray trousers and a silk gray vest over a freshly laundered white shirt. A bowler hat sat on the table in front of him next to a half empty pint. Spitting into his hand, the man held it out to Spot, who with a smile spat into his own and shook hands.  
"How's it rollin' Jasper?" Jasper MacKendrick threw his hands up in mock disgust and sat down, offering the remainder of the seats around the large table to Spot and everyone else.  
"Oh you know, territory battles, dealing with whores, the bulls. Same shit different day. How's Whiskey feeling? I notice he's not amongst you." Spot sat down next to Jasper and pulled Sadie into the seat next to him. Mumbles sat on Sadie's other side.  
"Whiskey's drunker than a skunk." Spot's eyes flicked to the three other young men sitting at the table with them. They all had the same look to them, dirty clothes, muscular frames and shifty eyes.  
"How's it going Marty? Seamus? Declan?" the young men in turn nodded their heads and acknowledged Spot's greeting. Jasper seemed to notice Sadie for the first time, and his eyes roved over her unmercifully.  
"Who's the lovely, Spot?" Spot put his arm around the back of Sadie's chair and put his foot over hers warningly. Pirate stood up and excused himself to go take a leak outside.  
"This is me new girl, Trouble." Jasper kissed Sadie's hand and gave her a lusty smile and wink.  
"With a nickname like that, I'd be sold. Now young Conlon, tell me what's going on and why the sudden meeting." Maude, the waitress came over with a tray full of pints that she set down in front of each of them. Deftly avoiding the wandering hands of Jasper's men, she winked at Spot and took off towards the bar. Sadie took a long swallow of her pint for lack of anything better to do. It was warm, and had a dark nutty taste to it. Mumbles winked at her and clinked his glass against hers before doing the same.  
"It was brought to my attention that you have a new recruit in your gang. He's been looking for my girl here," again Spot put a little pressure on Sadie's foot warning her not to say anything.  
"And apparently he's been givin' her nothin' but grief since she arrived in our fair city. He's a wee bit touched, if you catch my drift," Spot tapped his temple with a finger. Jasper looked thoughtfully at Sadie.  
"Now we can't have that. All's fair in love and war, but not when it comes to leader's girls. Who is this boy you speak of?" Sadie spoke up for the first time.  
"His name is Henry, Mr. MacKendrick. Henry Foster." Jasper threw back his head and laughed.  
"Oh she's a sweetheart. Mr. MacKendrick indeed. Call me Jasper, lovely." Jasper finished his pint with a gulp and smacked his glass down.  
"Henry you say? Yes I know Henry and frankly, I don't like him one bit. Little rotter was only asked to join the gang because of his size. What with quite a few of my boys actually being jailed lately I was sorely in need of some muscle. How do you say we take care of this then?" Spot was about to speak when a new voice interrupted him. Sadie gasped in shock as she felt a strong arm suddenly thrown about her from behind, and the sting of steel biting into her neck.  
"I say that you do nothing because it seems I have the upper hand in this little matter." Henry appeared from nowhere and lifted Sadie up from her chair in one swift motion. Sadie struggled briefly before he sliced into her neck just enough to make her bleed. Spot and the others rose from the table, shock and anger splashed on their faces.  
"See here Foster, this is rather unbecoming," Jasper's eyes were ice on a winter day but he tried to make his tone jovial. Henry snickered wildly and took a few steps back.  
"She's mine, she's mine, she's mine. Not yours mine," he crowed in a singsong voice. Sadie's eyes pleaded with Spot to do something. Spot's eyes shifted around and his mouth thinned furiously. Henry kept mumbling and taking small steps backwards. Suddenly Sadie saw Spot's eyes relax a fraction and in that instant, she felt Henry go limp and fall to the floor, releasing his hold on her. Clapping a hand to her throat, she whirled around. Pirate stood there, a smile on his narrow face, brandishing his shillelagh.  
"Erin go bragh," he said in a triumphant deep voice before Spot yanked Sadie to him and she buried her face in his chest. Mumbles and the rest clapped Pirate on his back and yelled for more pints. Jasper kicked the inert form of Henry and motioned to his henchmen.  
"Get him out of here and make sure he never sees New York City again." Sadie shuddered at his dire words but let herself be held by Spot. Pulling away from him, she wiped at her slightly bleeding neck with a handkerchief Jasper supplied and watched as Jasper's men carried Henry outside and out of her life. Standing on tiptoe, she kissed Pirate on the cheek, which made him turn a shade of crimson.  
"Thank you so much Pirate, I owe ya one." Spot spit-shook with the boy whose chest had puffed out so much he resembled a bullfrog. Leaving the others to sit and drink beer and celebrate, Spot pulled Sadie outside.  
"Jesus Christ, are you okay?" He tilted her chin back to look at her neck and satisfied, stepped away to light a smoke. They stood not saying anything, and Sadie had the strange sensation that he was closing himself up to her. Almost like a fort would rebuild its walls and buttresses, Spot was trying to shut her out.  
"What's wrong?" He looked at her then, and his eyes were sad.  
"Now that Henry's gone won't you be going back to Manhattan?" Sadie shrugged but she felt her shoulder's droop.  
"I guess it would make sense wouldn't it?" This time it was Spot's turn to shrug and he exhaled smoke through his nostrils.  
"I mean, there's no reason for me to stay here now is there?" Spot had to look away from her beseeching gaze. There was no way he was going to let another dame break his heart again. He was the infamous Spot Conlon, and he didn't need anyone. Especially not this short, skinny little thing that had brought him such chaos in his life recently.  
"I guess not, Trouble. Unless you think there is." Sadie squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. Mouth trembling and eyes beginning to water, she proudly looked him in the eye.  
"Thank you for all your help Mr. Conlon. I suppose I'll be taking my leave of you now." Wrapping her shawl about her, she turned to go. Looking over her shoulder, she paused only momentarily.  
"Don't call me Trouble, ya bum." Spot watched her stalk off and felt a hollow sensation in the pit of his stomach. Taking another pull of his cigarette he forced himself to look away. Now it was time to concentrate on putting Manhattan back into its place. And with Sadie, no he corrected himself, that distraction out of the way he could do so. But he couldn't ignore his stinging eyes as he walked back into the bar. Blaming it on the cigarette smoke, he swore and went back inside. He had work to do. 


	9. Author's Note

Author's note  
  
Okay guys, I hate to do this to you but I'm in a crisis. I have a new plot twist I could throw into the story and make it incredibly longer, or I can end it in two chapters and put the plot twist into a sequel. What do you think? I don't want to finish this chapter I'm working on unless I get some feedback. I didn't want to draw out this story to be too long when I could put the other situation into a new story with the same characters (plus some new if anyone wants their character in my story send me the info about it)  
  
HELP!! Leave me notes, majority rules. I need some advice here people. 


	10. Chapter Ten

Furious and blinking away tears Sadie stalked back to the lodging house to collect her things and say her good-byes. Becca and Sam were sad to see her go, and Becca threatened to set 'that no good Conlon boy' straight if it meant Sadie staying, but Sadie persisted. Gathering her things into a couple sacks, she started on her way back to Manhattan. Spider, Lefty and Frog joined her halfway down the street silently taking her bags away from her and walking alongside.  
"He does care about ya Sadie," Spider said as they finally neared the end of the Brooklyn Bridge. Frog had a stubborn, angry set to his little mouth. In the past few days that Sadie had been living with the newsboys she had won over the younger ones quickly by playing with them and giving them the maternal attention they secretly craved.  
"If you say so, Spider." Awkwardly they stood looking out into Manhattan. Sadie finally gathered all three boys to her in a big hug, which they protested loudly about, but hugged her back tightly. Then with a determined air, she set off into Manhattan, dragging her bags behind her.  
When she was almost to Mr. Foster's shop she ran into Jack and Racetrack, who after greeting her happily helped bring her things the rest of the way. Jack was curious and kept pestering her as to why she was back in Manhattan, but the way she answered him shortly and to the point made him realize that she didn't want to talk about it. Exchanging glances with Race, they waited while her mother and brother emotionally greeted her before helping bring the bags upstairs into her family's apartment.  
"So Sadie, what're you doing tonight? Me and the gang are going to have a poker game thought you might like to join us." Sadie smiled at Racetrack and agreed. The pair of boys left after she assured them she would show up later. Jeremiah came in soon after; his eyes alight with curiosity.  
"What happened to Henry? Mr. Foster's been upset since he ran off." Sadie didn't meet Jeremiah's eyes and the young man sighed knowingly.  
"I would have thought you'd stay in Brooklyn. That newsie leader looked like he could take care of his gang pretty well. I figured you'd be safest there."  
"Yeah well that newsie leader didn't want me around anymore. Besides with Henry gone there was no reason to stay there and hide and nobody gave me a reason not to leave." At her biting tone Jeremiah smiled slightly and put a hand on her shoulder.  
"Having feelings for guys like them isn't good Sadie. Most of them have no feelings. You know this, you knew plenty of his type in Boston." Sadie sighed and stopped folding her clothes into her battered old dresser.  
"You know what Miah? I've NEVER met anyone like him before in my whole life. Ever."  
  
Spot found himself facing an irate trio of little boys when he and the rest of the gang who had gone to Molly O's stumbled back to the lodging house. Stinking of beer and cigarette smoke, Spot was in no mood to explain his actions to them.  
"You know what Spot? I used to think you were so tough." Spot's eyebrows rose as little Spider Allen gave him a piece of his mind while smoking a cigar.  
"But then you got scared of a girl and you were an asshole and made her run away. WE like her Spot. WE want her around. And I KNOW that you do TOO!" Thrusting his chest out and pointing his cigar at Spot, Spider was extremely agitated. Spot had never seen the little runt this upset before. Lefty stood behind Spider, his arms crossed face carved from stone. Frog's eyes were red rimmed and he looked like he'd been crying.  
"Listen up runts. We got more important things to think about then some broad. You want to get treated like the big boys you'll have to forget her and pay attention. It's time to soak Manhattan." Spider defiantly turned his head so that he wasn't looking at Spot anymore.  
"Tell me you like her and then we'll help." Spot could have been knocked over with a feather he was so shocked at this insubordination. Grasping Spider by his collar and hauling him up so that they were eye level, he gave the little boy his infamous glare.  
"Excuse ME?" he growled. Spider looked faintly afraid, but he pouted stubbornly. Spot threw him down so that he barreled into Lefty and throwing his hands up in the air he lost his cool.  
"FINE! I LIKE HER! IS THAT WHAT YOU WANTED TO HEAR? I LIKE THE GODDAMNED BROAD. NOW CAN WE GO TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS?" Punching his fist into a nearby wall, he whirled to face Spider who had a look of pure contentment on his little face.  
"Yes Spot, whatever you say." Seething at the child's placid tone, Spot stalked into the lodging house to get the rest of the boys. It was going to be a long night.  
  
Early evening found Sadie lounging at Duane Street with the Manhattan newsboys and girls. Diamond had been eager for news of Spot and the rest of the Brooklyn boys. The other kids had sat enthralled as she told her story of Molly O's and what had happened to Henry. Jack whistled through his teeth.  
"You MET Jasper MacKendrick? Shit that man's more famous than Spot." Ink and Sorrow were sighing over Pirate's part in the tale.  
"Now HE is one fine lookin' boy." Ink blew smoke rings and pretended to fan herself while Sorrow and Sadie giggled. Diamond was looking at Sadie queerly and Sadie caught her.  
"What was it that Spot was calling you?"  
"Trouble." Diamond smiled slightly as Jack put an arm around her shoulders.  
"So he gave you a newsie name. That's a big thing coming from Spot. In all the time I've known him he's only given two other people a newsie name." Interested, Sadie gave her full attention to Diamond.  
"Oh yeah and who was that?" Jack cleared his throat.  
"Me," he said looking at the floor.  
"And me," Diamond said softly.  
" Sadie come sit on my lap and give me some luck, here." Sadie laughed at Racetrack's imploring face. Shoving thoughts of Spot out of her head she went and sat next to Race so she could observe the game and practice banishing her feelings for the cold Brooklyn leader.  
Racetrack was quick to use up all her attention and she didn't mind the flirting one bit. The other boys at the table were show-offs, repeatedly slapping each other upside the head for some imagined slight, or trying to make witty comments. Sadie noticed more than a few empty bottles lying around and some of the boys were slurring their words. Ink and Sorrow in particular were giggling incessantly and looking rather flushed. Sadie moved to sit near Jack and Diamond, her eyebrows raised in question.  
"Yeah, they've been celebratin'. It's Mush's birthday so we bought him some liquah." Mush was loudly protesting the fact that Race had actually won a hand of poker. Smiling, Sadie turned back to Jack.  
"I probably shouldn't say anything, but I know Spot's going to be planning something against Manhattan some time soon." Bitterly she looked at the ground and twisted her fingers in her skirt.  
"He cares about you guys, but I think his pride's been hurt something awful." Diamond clucked her tongue.  
"That's one of the things he values most of all, his pride. It's going to be his downfall one of these days." Diamond looked at Sadie intensely and motioned for her to climb out the window onto the fire escape and follow her up to the roof. Kid Blink was up there with Cloudy, their arms around each other but they broke apart when Diamond and Sadie reached the top. Faces red, the two muttered their excuses and disappeared. Diamond snorted and Sadie giggled. Leaning against the wall, Diamond lit a cigarette and offered one to Sadie. Sadie shrugged and took one. Watching Diamond, she inhaled and then exhaled painfully, coughing out smoke.  
"First time?" Sadie nodded and Diamond smiled sympathetically.  
"Listen, I was wondering. Why aren't you still in Brooklyn? I mean it was rather obvious that you had a thing for Spot." Sadie rolled her eyes.  
"Sure it was."  
"No really. I've known him for years. I know the affect he has on females. Did he tell you that there was no reason for you to stay there now that your Henry problem was dealt with?"  
"He asked me if I was coming back to Manhattan and I asked him if there was any reason for me not to leave and he couldn't give me one." Diamond snorted again.  
"That jackass. I bet he likes you." Sadie smiled faintly.  
"That's what Spider said."  
"Well, he'll either come back here and get you if he does, or he'll be a coward and avoid you. He's one of those guys that he loves girls, but he's scared to death of 'em." Sadie nodded in agreement. They stood, smoking companionably, Sadie making faces and coughing every now and again.  
"There's something else," Diamond said abruptly. The setting sun set her already red hair aflame. Sadie looked at her curiously. Diamond's pretty face was uncharacteristically drawn and suddenly pale. Sadie waited patiently.  
"I haven't wanted to mention it to anyone because I don't want them getting upset. I think there's something wrong with me." Sadie's eyes shot to Diamond's face.  
"What do you mean?" Diamond shrugged.  
"I haven't been feeling well that's all. It's probably nothing. But if Spot's going to make his move against Manhattan, then Jack needs everyone on his or her toes. It was a really bad idea for him to get them all drunk tonight. Who knows when Spot could come down here? Especially if he's been drinking."  
"Who knows indeed," the two girls gasped and whirled around in shock at the voice. Spot leapt down from the sidewall of the rooftop, holding his cane like a sword. Silently Whiskey, Pirate, Sketch, and Mumbles followed. Sadie ran over to the roof and looked down. There was another group of boys waiting in the alley.  
Spot was glaring at Diamond, his face an icy mask. Diamond glared back, two bright red circles appearing on her already pale face. Spot stalked lithely over to them and took Diamond's chin in-between two of his fingers. She tried to jerk away, but his grip was viselike.  
"Well Jacky-boy's been treatin' ya good, I can tell. Now where is the bastard."  
"Spot, please don't do this." Diamond grated out the words before Spot threw her face away from him. She grabbed his forearms and held him tightly.  
"Spot please, Jack's your friend. I'm your friend. We've known you for too long and been through way too much. Please don't do this because of me."  
"I'm not doing it because of YOU," he sneered.  
"I'm doing it for me." Ripping her hands off of his forearms, he turned his gaze onto Sadie.  
"I might have known you'd be here. As soon as you leave Brooklyn you run right to the Manhattan newsies. So who've you been glued to all night? Racetrack? Mush?" Sadie threw back her head and laughed in disgust. Taken aback, Spot took two fast steps so that they were nose to nose, him slightly taller and just as pissed off.  
"What's so funny, Trouble?" Shoving her hands against his chest, she heaved with all her might. He barely moved, but he stumbled back a step or two.  
"You pompous, arrogant, ass. I've been down there trying to get my mind off of YOU and you can dare to sit there and accuse me of being a whore when you yourself threw me to the gutter? You have no claim on me Spot fucking Conlon so don't act like it." A faint smile played on Spot's lips.  
"Keep telling yourself that Trouble. Me, I know otherwise." Turning to Diamond, he pointed his cane at her.  
"Tell Jack to meet me in Central Park in an hour. He can bring whoever he wants, I have my boys. But it's me and him first." He started to leave, before he looked back at Sadie.  
"You come too, I'm bringing you home with me." His eyes held hers for a moment and she shivered before he disappeared over the wall, followed by the rest of his boys. Sagging against the wall, Sadie gulped in a deep breath of air, before she caught Diamond's eyes.  
"Oh shit," was all she could manage to say. Diamond leapt for the fire escape, hauling Sadie along with her by her sleeve.  
"Oh shit is right, let's go. We have to find Jack." 


	11. Chapter Eleven

Sadie and Diamond burst through the window into the lodging house. Startled, the boys all looked up from the party. Ink and the other girls were gathered on a single bunk, playing a dice game. They stopped when the two entered. Jack leapt up from the table and grasped Diamond's shoulders.  
"What is it?"  
"Spot.Said to meet him at Central Park in an hour."  
"Spot was HERE?" Diamond gulped and nodded.  
"He was just on the roof. He had some of his boys with him. There were more in the alley." Jack swore and cast his eyes over his group of newsies. Half of them were sauced and would be of no use to him. The other half were the youngest ones who had barely thrown a punch ever.  
"Any of you guys who aren't that drunk get your shit together, we're leaving in ten minutes." Ink, Sorrow, and Cloudy jumped up and ran to get weapons. Specs, Snoddy, Skittery, Bumlets, Kid Blink, Racetrack, Pie Eater, Snipeshooter, Snitch, and Jack quickly gathered any weapons that they had as well. Jack drew Diamond to him and kissed her.  
"You two stay here I don't want you getting hurt."  
"Spot told me to come too." Jack gave Sadie a hard look, and Diamond poked Jack's chest.  
"There's no way I'm not going. I started all this shit. Besides if Ink, Sorrow, and Cloudy are going then so are we." Jack threw his hands up in the air and swore.  
"Fine! Get ready then." Together they all trooped down the stairs, bringing a blinking Kloppman out of his bedroom. Seeing the old man standing in the lobby in his long underwear brought more than a few smiles to the newsie's faces.  
"What're you kids doing? Do you know what time it is?" Jack looked at the man apologetically.  
"We'll be back shortly Kloppy. We have some business to attend to." The old man still half-asleep shrugged, scratched his chest and made his way back into his room. Quickly and quietly they exited the lodging house and made their way to the park.  
It had grown dark, and nobody was happy. More than a little bit drunk, Ink and Racetrack were helping each other walk arms around each other's shoulders. Sadie nervously kept cracking her knuckles until Sorrow put a hand on hers.  
"It'll be okay," was all she said before catching up to Cloudy who walked hand-in-hand with Blink. They reached Central Park in what seemed like only a few minutes. Walking down a path, Jack kept muttering to himself.  
"Where the hell are they?"  
"Right here Jacky-boy." Spot's voice rang out in the darkness from a bench where he lounged, his gang arrayed around him. There was a street lamp nearby that cast a dim glow to the area where they all stood, eyeing each other tensely. Spot suddenly stood up, threw his cane to Whiskey, and pointed at Jack.  
"Let's go Cowboy, I've been waiting for this for two weeks."  
"Took ya long enough," Jack retorted as they both started rolling up their sleeves. The rest of the kids stood silently, their breath misting over their heads in the crisp air. Sadie saw Spider and Lefty in the group of Brooklyn boys and they gave her secret half-smiles and winks. Diamond stood near Sadie, her hands clenched into fists, biting her lip.  
Jack and Spot circled one another, feinting and dodging for a few minutes. Suddenly Spot struck out with his right fist and cracked Jack on the jaw. Jack cursed in pain and spat out a thin stream of saliva mixed with blood before lunging for Spot. The newsies burst to life then as well, calling out encouragement for their respective leaders. Jack hit Spot full on in the stomach. Spot bent forward before jerking upwards and catching Jack once more on the chin with a nasty uppercut. Sadie was in awe as she watched the boys throw punches and either miss or land hits with the ease of boxers. Spot was by far a more seasoned fighter, Jack usually using his 'insult and run' technique in street fights. But she had to admit that Jack was definitely giving the Brooklyn leader a run for his money. One didn't become a newsie leader just by wanting the job. They had to earn the right.  
  
Both factions of newsies were getting rowdy with each other as well. Ink and Sorrow were shouting obscene invitations to Pirate MacNamara, who was blushing furiously and scratching his head. Spider and Lefty were hollering at Snipeshooter, the closest one in age to them. Whiskey and Mumbles were glaring at Racetrack and Kid Blink, while Diamond and Sadie paid close attention to the battle. The two groups would only fight if their leaders spoke up and requested it. Sadie gasped as Spot hauled back a fist and punched Jack in the stomach and then across the face in rapid succession. Jack's eyes rolled up into his head and he collapsed onto the ground. Chest heaving, knuckles, and nose bleeding, Spot dropped to the ground beside him and put two fingers on his neck.  
"He's just out cold," he finally managed to say. Raising his eyes to meet Diamond's, Spot smirked.  
"I'd say we're even now, wouldn't you?" Diamond made a noise of disgust deep in her throat before shoving Spot aside and taking Jack's head into her lap. Spot made a croaking noise that Sadie realized was laughter. Pirate and Whiskey jogged over and helped him stand up, Whiskey handing him his cane.  
"Listen fellas," Spot looked at the Manhattan group of newsies who had gathered around Jack.  
"I just wanted to say that I didn't mean for any of this to get as out of hand as it did." A few of the Manhattan newsies, shocked at the apology being made by someone who never apologized, stammered out replies while the rest just nodded. Sadie noticed that Spot was leaning heavily onto his cane. Blood stained his red gingham shirt, and white undershirt. He had dried patches of it on his chin, near his left eye, and underneath his nose. He slowly brought his gaze around to where she stood.  
"We need to talk, Trouble." He hobbled over closer to her, and she couldn't help but draw back for a second at the gore staining his shirt and face. Chuckling lightly, he grasped Sadie's sleeve and drew her away from the crowd of kids surrounding Manhattan's fallen. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Racetrack steal one of the Brooklyn kid's caps and run off towards a fountain to capture as much water as he could in it. Smiling slightly at the unfortunate awakening Jack was about to have, she let Spot tug her away. They walked down the path until they were out of hearing distance. Sadie put her hand up to Spot's cheek and turned his face left than right.  
"Jack really got ya a couple times," was all she could say. Spot took her hand away from his face and held it in his own. Sadie met his eyes, dark in the moonlight, but no less intense.  
"Sadie, when I said that there was no reason for ya to stay in Brooklyn, I was lyin'." Sadie shook her head and Spot put a finger up to stop her from speaking. She could see his mouth set in determination, and he wobbled a little trying to stay standing.  
"I," he shot a look down at the ground before bringing his eyes back to her face.  
"I want you to come back to Brooklyn. To stay at the lodging house." Although her heart was fairly near pounding out of her chest, Sadie wasn't certain.  
"Why?" Spot gave an incredulous snort at her question and she could see the amusement on his lean face.  
"Because I like ya, Trouble," he softened his tone almost imperceptibly but Sadie caught it actually having had more than a few conversations with the Brooklyn leader than most. It interested her briefly that after such a short time she could already catch the nuances in the boy's voice. 'That would come in handy trying to read him', she mused.  
"I like ya a lot," he finished saying. She jerked herself back to the moment and felt her mouth drop.  
"Did you just say what I thought you did?" Spot grinned impishly, the moonlight making his eyes actually dance.  
"Honest Injun," he said holding a hand to his chest and then one palm out before him like a witness swearing in at a trial. Sadie was damn near speechless as she looked up at him. Starting to feel foolish and growing impatient, his bruises and cuts from the fight stinging like mad, Spot took her chin in his hand.  
"Are you coming with me Sadie? Or do I have to beg?" The tone in his voice said he wouldn't dare beg, his pride was too great. Sadie almost felt like making him prove himself to her, but a little voice in her head said that she had plenty of time to do that. Life wasn't always kind; it tended to throw curves and nasty surprises here and there. Proof would be had soon or it wouldn't be had ever, she amended to herself.  
"I'm coming with you Spot, you don't need to beg," she saw him flash another smile at her and she couldn't resist one last barb.  
"Yet, anyway." Spot barked out a laugh and pulling her close to him with one arm planted a kiss on her lips that made her pulse race. Hearing clapping and laughter, the two pulled away from each other quickly.  
The Brooklyn newsies stood nearby clapping, hooting and hollering, and waving caps in the air. Spot gave them a murderous look, but none of them took it to heart as they ran over to the pair. Spider and Lefty practically tackled Sadie, and the older boys winked at her before slapping Spot heartily on the back.  
"It's about goddamned time," Whiskey crowed as Spot winced.  
"Jesus Christ ya lousy bastard, I'm hurt." Whiskey snickered and Pirate almost fell over laughing. For Spot to complain about being hurt only meant that he didn't want to talk about what was going on between him and Sadie. Spot never complained about being hurt after a fight. Sadie looked over to see the Manhattan newsies helping Jack stand up. Throwing Spot an apologetic look and a murmured "I'll be right back," Sadie jogged over to the other group.  
"Jack! Are you all right?" Jack was held up by Kid Blink and Specs and he gave her a painful grimace that she assumed was meant to be a smile. Diamond stood nearby, her eyes worried.  
"I'm fine Sadie. Nothing a few days won't cure. I'll be back out tomorrow sellin papes and getting' rewarded handsomely for all the workin' over to me my old man did." Sadie rolled her eyes. Only a newsie would take the bruises from a street fight and pass it off as a beating by a parent to try to sell more papers.  
"So are you going back with Brooklyn?" Sadie glanced up at Diamond who was gazing at her with a little smirk on her face. Face burning, she nodded mutely. Racetrack punched her lightly on the arm.  
"Hey it didn't take a genius to figure that one out," he quipped. Ink slung an arm around Sadie's shoulders.  
"So, what do they call you again? Trouble? See if you can set me up with Pirate MacNamara. That boy's got a fine lookin .."  
"Ink, that's disgustin'," Race cut in, trying to look affronted. Sadie snickered as did Ink and Sorrow who had joined them.  
"It's not like I won't come to visit. Tell Crutchy I'll see him at the end of the week, would ya?" Diamond nodded and gave the shorter girl a grin.  
"I know you'll come visit. We're too friendly over here in Manhattan. Them Brooklyn boys will be makin' ya tear your hair out by the end of the week. One especially in particular." Throwing a fond glance in Spot's direction, she turned her attention back to Jack, fussing over him like a mother hen. Saying their good-bye's and with promises of many visits to come, Sadie returned to the Brooklyn newsies. Spot, refusing to be held up by anyone merely took Sadie's hand up in his own, and with a wink, they started the long walk back to Brooklyn.  
Sadie sat out on the fire escape with Spot later that night, both of them wrapped up in their thin blankets. He had said when they arrived at the lodging house that he was too sore to sleep, and Sadie decided to sit up with him to keep him company. Spot had been a little taken aback at the idea that a girl he liked would actually sit up with him instead of moaning about being tired and wanting to go to bed. He was even more taken aback when she took his cigarette out of his mouth and took a couple drags before sticking it back into place.  
"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, you smoke now?" Sadie smirked.  
"So what Conlon?" He snorted and nudged her with his elbow. She grinned before laying a head on his shoulder and looking up at the night sky. As she settled in for a long night of talking with Spot, she couldn't help but shake her head slightly and wonder how she had gotten to this place. Back in Boston and even when they arrived in New York, she hadn't experienced as much action in her life as she had in the past couple of days. Listening to Spot tell her a story about the time Whiskey and he escaped from the Refuge, she sighed in contentment.  
It was funny what happened to someone when they weren't even looking for it. Funny indeed.  
  
A/N--- I'm not sure if the ending's a bit weak, I didn't want the story to end! But there will be a sequel as soon as I get it organized. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed this story, it helped me keep writing. I hope you continue to read stories I write. I appreciate the encouragement!! ---- 


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